Four highly accomplished Ohlone cultural practitioners join with three of Berkeley’s most knowledgeable scholars and historians to discuss “Native Berkeley: Ancient Wisdom for Troubled Times,” 2 PM Sun., Dec. 4, at the North Berkeley Senior Center, MLK at Hearst. The event is sponsored by BPFP partner group Friends of Ohlone Park (FOOP).

Vincent Medina of Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival will tell stories and discuss his work in bringing back language and culture of the Chochenyo Ohlone, who inhabited the Berkeley area. Quirina Luna-Geary will talk about her revival of the Mutsun Ohlone language and Native dance traditions and regalia. Linda Yamane, Rumsien Ohlone, will discuss revival of traditional Native arts she has mastered, from basketry to boat building.

Corrina Gould, executive director of People Organizing for Change, will discuss efforts to block construction on the parking lot opposite Spenger’s Fish Grotto, once the site of a a village and shellmound thousands of years old. Kent Lightfoot, archeologist and Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley, will discuss that ancient settlement.

Malcolm Margolin, author of The Ohlone Way and other books, will give an overview of 12,000 years of human habitation of the Berkeley area, and Richard Schwartz, historian and author of several books on local history, will show slides of mortar holes, petroglyphs, shell beads, and other signs of the Native American past.

More info and tickets at Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets are $8 – $10, with no one turned away for lack of funds. But seats are limited; advance purchase is strongly recommended. For other queries email berkeleyfoop@gmail.com.

Support San Francisco Bay with Measure AA on the June 7 ballot!Measure AA is a $12-per-year parcel tax — over 20 years, just $1 a month from all property owners in the nine Bay Area counties will raise $500 million to restore thousands of acres of Bay Area wetlands — reducing pollution, helping wildlife, and protecting low-lying communities from floods, storms, and threats from rising sea levels. A 2/3 majority is needed — your vote is vitally important! Read the text, impartial analysis, and more details here. See supporters here. Ways to support Measure AA here.

Two BPFP partner groups celebrated important anniversaries in May. Left, Friends of Five Creeks celebrated 20 years with a picnic, bug hunt, games, nature walk, and wild edibles May 14 at Cerrito Creek. Right, Schoolhouse Creek Common celebrated 10 years with a Maypole, music, games, and food on May 1 at the community-built park Below right: Jamie Day and his wife Phyllis Orrick, neighbors and leaders of the project.

Schoolhouse Creek Common, the community-built park, native plant garden, and play area at Curtis and Virginia, celebrates its 10th anniversary 10 AM – 1 PM Sun., May 1, 2016. Join them for pastries, coffee and tea, games, music, and beauty! All welcome.

More info: day7715@gmail.com. All also welcome at garden volunteer days, 10 AM-noon, second Saturdays.

Friends of Five Creeks celebrates 20 years of working to protect and restore watersheds and nature from Berkeley to Richmond with a relaxed picnic 10 AM – 1 PM Sat., May 14, 2016. Join them for an easy nature-and-history walk, bug hunt, and snacks with weed ingredients (if you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em). There’s a kids’ play structure, and if it’s warm they can splash in the creek. Join them at El Cerrito’s Creekside Park at the foot of Albany Hill, south end of Santa Clara Ave. (Map here.) Details and schedule upcoming at www.fivecreeks.org.

Berkeley Partners for Parks urges a “yes” vote on Berkeley’s Measure F, a modest (16.7%) increase in Berkeley’s parks tax, passed in 1997 and based on square footage. The average Berkeley home of about 1900 square feet will pay about $40 to help support our 52 parks, 30 park buildings, 100+ pathways, and 35,000 trees. A real bargain!

For information from supporters, or to donate or volunteer, go to http://www.healthyberkeleyparks.com/.